1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to means for providing heat to persons working in the elevated bucket of an aerial lift vehicle and, more particularly, to a heating means which allows for heated hydraulic fluid, available at the bucket, to be passed through a piping, or tubing, arrangement located on the floor of the bucket, where the heat from the hydraulic fluid will radiate through the bucket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For people who work in elevated buckets (variously referred to in the art as buckets, baskets, or platforms), severe cold weather often limits the length of time they can remain in the bucket without suffering undue hardship. It has been proposed in the past that specially designed articles of clothing, for example, various types of diving suits, space suits, asbestos suits, or the like, be worn to protect the individual from the cold. Although these suits do provide a degree of warmth, their bulkiness greatly lessens the mobility of the wearer, often to the point where assinged tasks cannot be performed.
One specific arrangement for providing heat to a workman in a elevated bucket is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,505 issued to B. R. Hulin on June 24, 1969. The Hulin arrangement, in general, provides a source of controlled temperature air which is mounted on either the truck or the boom, and is interconnected via a conduit with the bucket. In order to confine the heated air to the bucket area, a sealing means, or lid, is connected to the top of the bucket. The lid includes a hole large enough to allow a worker to gain entry to the bucket. The worker then wears a torso garment which is attached to the sealing lid to further prevent the escape of the heated air. Although this arrangement does provide a source of heat to the worker, his mobility is again severely limited do to the connection of the torso garment to the sealing lid.
An alternative arrangement, which does not hamper mobility, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,941 issued to C. P. Edwards on Sept. 20, 1971. In this arrangement, an electrical outlet box is mounted on a side wall of the bucket. An electrically operated, heater, therefore, may be directly plugged into the outlet box to provide heat. Such an arrangement, however, is not practical for use with aerial lift vehicles working with or near high voltage electric power lines.
Thus, a need remains for an arrangement capable of providing heat to elevated buckets which does not impede the mobility of the worker and is sufficiently safe for use in association with, for example, electric utility aerial lift vehicles.